TiMER
by Sunny D Writez
Summary: A TiMER counts down to when you will meet your soulmate. A pessimistic Bonnie Bennett has refused to get one, despite pressure from friends and the man she loves. When she's faced with unfavorable results, she finds herself in a situation that can be the beginning of something beautiful or disastrous. All Human. Inspired by the movie, TIMER.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement intended.

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><p>"I had a dream about Stefan last night."<p>

Elena Gilbert tucked a strand of her brown hair behind her ear and didn't make eye contact with her best friend as she revealed this tidbit of news. She pretended to be actually doing her homework but was really just doodling on the corners of the page. Bonnie Bennett, however, was not surprised by her revelation.

"Another one, huh," she said as she really did work on her essay. "Third one this week."

"I don't know what it is," Elena said with a sigh. "It's weird, dreaming about Stefan then waking up next to Damon."

"Was it a sex dream?" Bonnie asked curiously, looking up from her paper.

"No," Elena said quickly. "None of them have been sex dreams. This time we were married, and we had two beautiful children. It was…it was…" Elena's sentence faltered when she noticed the way Bonnie was looking at her. "Don't start, Bonnie."

"I didn't say anything," Bonnie said, going back to her work.

"You didn't have to," Elena responded. "Stefan and I are friends, but I'm with Damon now."

"Really? I thought you guys were just doing it," Caroline joked as she strutted into the room, a laundry basket in her arms.

"At every single opportunity," Bonnie added with a smirk.

"Listen, you've been torn between the Salvatores for almost two years," Caroline pointed out as she began folding her newly clean clothes. "You know Stefan is still in love with you and Damon has always loved you. You didn't want him, now you do want him, who knows how you're going to feel in a month or two. There's a quick and easy way to solve this dilemma. Get a TiMER."

Caroline had invested in the most expensive TiMER there is. It didn't just count down to the day she would meet her soulmate, but the very second. Unfortunately for her, her TiMER remained blank two years later, meaning her soulmate was not yet equipped with one, but the positive blonde continued to hold out hope.

Elena rolled her doe brown eyes toward the ceiling. "This again?"

"You know she never lets up until she gets what she wants," Bonnie mumbled.

"I will never give up on love," Caroline shot back. "I've had a TiMER for two years, and it still hasn't activated yet, but I still have faith. I have faith that my soul mate, whoever and wherever they may be, will one day get his, and we will find each other, fall in love, and it'll be epic."

Elena got up and quickly gathered up her things. She wasn't in the mood for another one of Caroline's spiels about epic love. "I love Damon. I know he's the one. I don't need a stupid device to tell me what I already know." She slung her backpack over her shoulder and flitted past Caroline out of the door.

"That stupid device has led to millions of marriages and happy families!" Caroline called after her roommate.

"And what about the rest?" Bonnie asked, standing to face her. "What about the ones who were already happy, and the TiMER did nothing but destroy what two people in love had?"

"That love would be nothing compared to the love they would have with the one they're meant to be with. Come on, Bonnie. You need one too, I'll go with you!"

"You forced both Matt and Tyler to get a TiMER, and what did that do for you?" Bonnie questioned. "You lost two good guys."

"They weren't the one," Caroline's usual cheer was being deflated but she refused to lose hope. Bonnie saw the sadness creeping into her childhood friend's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Caroline," she apologized, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "I don't mean to make you feel bad. It's just…this TiMER business has been putting a strain on me and Jeremy's relationship. He wants us both to get one and I refuse. He says he already knows we belong together, that this will just confirm our love. I say if he really believes we belong together, he shouldn't need confirmation. Honestly…"

"What is it, Bonnie?" Caroline's brow furrowed in concern.

Bonnie sighed. "I think he wants to know if he should continue wasting his time with me," she revealed. "I think if our TiMERs don't align, he'll leave me. Just like you left Matt…just like you left Tyler."

"Oh, Bonnie," Caroline wrapped her arms around her friend. "Jeremy would never leave you, he adores you."

"So, then it's completely unnecessary," she stated, pulling out of the hug. "The situation with Elena is different. She's leading Stefan and Damon on, and I would never do that. I know what I want. Neither the Universe nor Science gets to decide who I should be with. I do."

And with that, Bonnie grabbed her bag and strutted out of the dorm after her friend.

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><p>Damon Salvatore drummed his fingers on the table as he surveyed the bar. The Mystic Grill wasn't picking up too much business this Tuesday, and he wasn't perched at his usual spot at the bar, but at a booth as he awaited his buddy's arrival. He smirked at the sight of a familiar face coming through the door. It wasn't who he was waiting on, but she would do for now.<p>

"Not even going to say hello," Damon said as Bonnie breezed past him without a look in his direction. She stopped in her tracks.

"Damon?" She said, sounding surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"This is public domain," Damon replied in his usual sardonic tone. "I don't really need a reason. Don't pretend you're not happy to see me."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said. "Elena's in class so I assume you're meeting Alaric. Why aren't you at the bar, starting your afternoon binge."

"Actually, I'm meeting Enzo," Damon corrected. "Alaric isn't my only friend." Bonnie gave him a knowing look. "Anymore." He finished. "Ever since Alaric's been back in town they haven't been getting along so great. Now, I have to do this annoying thing where I can only hang with one at a time. Anyway, the jackass is running late so why don't you park it."

"I'm meeting Jeremy."

"And that jackass is always late so..." he gestured to the empty seat in front of him. After a moment's hesitation, Bonnie put her bag down and plopped into the booth across from the eldest Salvatore brother.

Dark hair, icy blue eyes, and a slick mouth, there wasn't a woman in Mystic Falls that didn't go wild over him. With the exception of little Miss Bonnie Bennett. She'd never bothered to hide her contempt for Damon. She wasn't blind to his good looks and charm, but his constant drinking, womanizing, and trouble making overruled the former. She and Caroline had always been Team Stefan when it came to who should be with their best friend, but Bonnie had to admit she'd seen a noticeable change in the man since he'd started dating Elena. He cut out all the women, his drinking had minimized considerably, and he seemed to be staying out of trouble recently. Damon liked to bother Bonnie, but he knew she was a good girl and a great friend to Elena. Yet, they both liked to remind each other they were each other's least favorite person.

"How's college life been treating you, Bon Bon?" Damon asked with a little smirk.

"Do you really care?" She retaliated.

His smile dropped. "No, not really," he admitted, leaning back. "I've been thinking about this TiMER thing a lot lately."

Bonnie was surprised by this. Damon had always written it off as ridiculous in the past. "You're thinking about getting one?" She questioned.

"No," he replied. "I'm thinking Elena should get one."

"Why would you want her to get one if you're not going to?"

"See this annoying couple to our right?" He asked. Bonnie had noticed them the instant she walked in the place. They were giggling and holding hands and being insufferable. It was clear they had both TiMEd Out with each other, and wanted to shove it in everyone's faces. "That is what Elena had with Stefan, and she may be okay with what we got going on right now, but eventually she's going to want that again."

"You don't think she can have that with you?" Bonnie hadn't been expecting him to open up to her like this.

"Don't pretend like you've failed to notice that our relationship has become...toxic."

She definitely had noticed. And even if she hadn't, Elena always filled she and Caroline in on what was going on with them. It was a repeating cycle with Damon and Elena. Fight, fuck, break up, fuck again.

"I haven't failed to notice how much you love her, Damon."

"Which is why I want to be selfish with her, but I can't," he explained. "I don't know, maybe I am crazy. What do you think, Judgy?" This time, Bonnie didn't roll her eyes at the nickname he'd coined her with long ago. She could see the stress in his cerulean eyes, and she wanted to help.

"She's not going to go for it," she replied, honestly. "Caroline just gave us both the TiMER speech yesterday, and it didn't end well."

"I'm surprised you and little Gilbert haven't went and got them so you can make those goo goo eyes at each other for the rest of eternity."

"He wants to...I don't."

"Why not?"

"What if..." Bonnie hesitated but she saw the genuine curiosity in Damon's face. "What if I'm not the one for him?"

Damon leaned forward and put his elbows on the table. He looked Bonnie in the eyes as he spoke. "He should be a lot more concerned that he's not the one for you," he stated in a serious tone. There was a moment of silence as the two gazed at each other, and if Bonnie hadn't known better, she would've thought she felt her heart skip a beat at the way he was looking at her. Was Damon implying that Jeremy was lucky to have her? Couldn't be, that was too close to a compliment and Damon never gave her those. The moment was interrupted by a familiar voice above them.

"What's going on, guys?"

Damon and Bonnie both looked up to see Jeremy, looking down at them strangely. Bonnie gave him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Just talking. Hey babe," she said, standing up.

"Sorry I'm a little late," he apologized as they embraced. "The game with Matt and Tyler went longer than expected."

At that moment Damon's cell tinged with a notification. A text from Enzo. **_Be there in 5. Had an unexpected visit._** Damon smirked as he put the phone down. He knew what that meant. Since Damon was no longer a single man, Enzo had gladly taken the role of town womanizer.

"It's okay," Bonnie assured. Jeremy pointedly wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Damon," he acknowledged the older man as he led his girlfriend away.

"Gilbert," Damon muttered under his breath as the two sauntered off. He suddenly was in the mood for a drink.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I appreciate whoever has given this fic and chance and decided to read/fav/follow it, and it would really help if you would leave a review. This story is short, and I'm going to post this chapter despite the lack of feedback. I would greatly appreciate it if you could leave reviews with this chapter, and I'll post the last couple as soon as I can. **

**This chapter contains some mature content. Nothing too bad.**

**Thanks for reading!**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement intended.

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><p>The room went in and out of focus, the music was pumping yet she couldn't really hear it, and she brought the red Solo cup to her lips and gulped down the rest of its contents. She threw the cup aside and flopped down, arms splayed on the counter in front of her and her face pressed against the cold marble. It was a wonder she didn't slip off the bar stool entirely and spill out onto the floor.<p>

Bonnie Bennett's life sucked. At least, that's how she was feeling on this particular night. It had been Caroline's idea to come to this frat party, yet the blonde in question was nowhere to be found, and Elena had bailed on them at the last second. This led to Bonnie being left with her thoughts, rudely rejecting every guy who approached her to dance, and drowning her sorrows in hard liquor. This was a very rare occurrence for Bonnie.

The party continued on around her. No one took notice of the drunk college chick who was nearly passed out. She groaned when a pair of strong hands were placed on her shoulders. "Don't fuckin' touch me," she grumbled incoherently.

"Bonnie?"

Her head snapped up and she met with another pair of green eyes gazing at her incredulously.

"Stefan!" She tried to get up but stumbled and Stefan Salvatore caught her in his arms.

"Whoa there." He stood her upright, but didn't let her go. "What are you doing, Bonnie?"

"Stefan...I'm so glad to see you, Stefan," she blabbered. "You're like one of my closest guy friends. Did you know that? Stefan, I'm fucked up."

"Come here." The youngest Salvatore led the little lady over to a sofa that had been pushed up against the wall. It was only occupied by a passed out sophomore, who was at the far end, leaned over the arm of the couch. Stefan sat Bonnie down and quickly sat beside her, catching her just as she started to spill over again.

"My life is fucked," she continued. "Jeremy and I broke up."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Bonnie," Stefan replied, genuinely. He had never seen her this way. She and Jeremy had broken up before, months ago when he'd cheated with his ex. She had been hurt and pissed off, but she'd handled it much better than this. He wondered why this break-up had sent her over the edge.

"I'm sure you guys will work things out," he assured. "Regardless, it doesn't give you an excuse to go out and get smashed like this."

"I can do what I want, Salvatore," she snapped. "You're so different than your brother."

"We're more alike than you think," Stefan disagreed. He knew Damon liked to give Bonnie a hard time, and he would definitely not approve of this behavior from her. "You sit right here. I'm going to get you some water, then I'm getting you the hell out of here."

"Ay ay, Captain," she agreed. Stefan stood and disappeared into the crowd, on his mission to get his friend some water or coffee, anything to help sober her just a little. He returned less than three minutes later, and she was already gone.

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><p>Bonnie was in the arms of a random frat guy. When Stefan had taken off she'd decided it was time to have some fun, and wandered off onto the dance floor, grabbing the first guy she saw. He immediately noticed this hot chick's inebriated state and made the choice to take advantage. He didn't bother to check if she had a TiMER, because he didn't care. He didn't want a soulmate, he wanted a quick lay, and he could give a fuck less if this chick had a boyfriend or not. He was already throbbing as she grinded up against him.<p>

"Let's move this somewhere else," he suggested in her ear.

"I want to dance!" She proclaimed.

"We can do something better than dance." He wasn't going to take no for an answer. Everything she was doing was telling, in his opinion, that they wanted the same thing. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulled her body close to his, and shuffled her off the dance floor. He wasn't listening to whatever she was rambling on about as he tried to decide if he should take her to the back room or upstairs.

"Where are we going?" Bonnie asked. "I want to go back and dance."

"Come on." He grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the back room, which was considerably closer than anywhere upstairs. There was someone else going in and he quickly stopped him. "Get lost. I need this room." The other guy looked from him to the girl barely hanging onto him.

"Dude-"

"Get lost!" He screamed, pushing him out of the way. He quickly went in, tugging Bonnie along with him, and shut and locked the door.

"There's nothing back here," Bonnie slurred. "I don't want this, I want to go back out there." She attempted to go back out but Frat Guy grabbed her and roughly pressed his lips to hers, while his hand went up her shirt. He tasted of cigarettes and vodka, and it was turning Bonnie's stomach.

"What the fuck are you doing?!" She cocked her head back and tried to get out of his grip but he wasn't having it.

"Don't play with me," he said firmly, stepping toward her as she tried to back up. He pushed her up against the dresser, putting his lips all over her neck and fumbling with the button on her jeans.

"No...stop..." Bonnie was feeling more light-headed by the second, nausea was kicking in, and she couldn't register what was happening to her. She heard a loud banging and the boy curse. The banging continued.

"Go away!" The guy screamed toward the door.

A moment later, the door flew open, hitting the wall so hard the knob left a gaping hole, and a very pissed Damon Salvatore stood on the other side. He only needed a second to take in the scene before him. This little fraternity shithead with his pants around his ankles, and a faded Bonnie pinned beneath him. Damon's blood was boiling as he flew across the room, grabbed the guy, and threw him against the wall.

"What did you do to her!" He screamed in his face.

"I didn't do anything!" The guy yelled back.

"Did you hurt her?"

"No, she wanted it," the guy shot back. "Why don't you get the fuck out of here and stop cockblocking." Damon's fist cocked back and he smashed his face, laying the kid flat on his back.

"How's that for cockblocking?" Damon spat down at the drunk, unconscious college junior. The sound of heaving snapped his attention back to Bonnie. She was on her knees, about to puke up the contents of her stomach. He quickly moved to her side.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" He placed his hands on her shoulder.

"Thank God, you found her!" Damon looked up to see Stefan entering the room. Stefan looked at the half naked frat kid and to Bonnie puking up Grey Goose. "What the hell happened here?"

"You were here and you weren't watching her?" Damon questioned in an accusatory manner.

"I left her for two seconds to get her water and she disappeared!" Stefan exclaimed. Bonnie groaned and he went to her other side and both men helped her to her feet. "We gotta get her out of here."

They carried her out the frat house and headed toward the parking lot, where both brothers were parked. "As soon as I came in this place I saw that creep dragging her to that back room," Damon explained. "I could tell she was out of it, and I had to fight through to get back there as fast as I could. I kicked down the door and he was all over her."

"Well, from the looks of it you got to her before it went too far," Stefan said. "What made you come to a Whitmore party anyway?"

"I thought Elena was going to be here," Damon replied. "I needed to see her about something."

"No, Caroline told me she bailed," Stefan told him. "She's back at the dorm."

Bonnie couldn't stand straight and she instinctively leaned on Stefan. He held onto her, but Damon didn't let go of her arm.

"I can see her tomorrow," Damon said. "You can go. I'll bring her home."

"That's okay, I got it," Stefan denied his request. "You can go see Elena. I'll take care of Bonnie." Damon lingered, still holding onto her. "Damon, I got it." Stefan's tone was firm. After another moment of hesitation, Damon released her.

"Don't waste any words telling her off for doing this to herself," Damon advised, his eyes still on Bonnie. "She's smarter than this. She's always been smarter than this."

"Yeah, well she and Jeremy broke up today," Stefan revealed. "Something tells me it was for good this time. And you know better than anyone that love can make people do stupid things. I'll see you later." In one quick motion, Stefan had Bonnie up in his arms and he was carrying her off toward his car. Damon watched them for a moment, before turning and heading off to see his girlfriend.

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><p>The bright rays of sunshine were pouring into the room when Bonnie began to stir. She slowly opened her eyes and it took only a moment for her brain to collect it's thoughts and take in her surroundings. She realized she was in her room, but not the dorm room she shared with her two best friends, the room at her dad's house that she grew up in and still slept in some weekends. She slightly jumped at the unexpected sight of someone sitting on her bed.<p>

"Stefan?" She voiced. The man in question was perched at the edge of the bed, patiently waiting for his friend to wake. At the sound of her voice, he quickly scooted up closer to her, placing a comforting hand on her arm.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" His brow was furrowed in concern. He was expecting her to wake up to a raging headache and the hangover from hell.

"My head is pounding," she admitted, wiping sleep from her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"You...had a rough night last night," he responded. "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Last night?" Bonnie was trying to recall the events of the night before, but she was only getting it in pieces. "The frat party. You were there?"

"Yes."

"I think I remember seeing you," she said, unsure. "What were you doing at a Whitmore party?"

"Caroline had asked me to go," he said. "I wasn't going to but decided to stop by for a minute or two just to appease her, but she was already gone by the time I got there."

"That's right," Bonnie recalled. "She left with that Jesse guy after I told her I was going to leave myself. I wasn't in the partying mood, but she dragged me out, in true Caroline fashion. Once she left I started thinking about Jeremy and..."

"That's when the drinking started," Stefan completed the sentence for her.

"I can't even remember what happened after Caroline left," Bonnie admitted, distressed. "God, how could I be so stupid?" She buried her head in her pillow.

"You're not stupid," Stefan reassured her. "You're a girl who just got her heart broken." Bonnie slightly shifted the pillow so her emerald eyes could peer out at him. "Just relax. I'm going to go make you some coffee and something to eat. You need something in your stomach." He got up and headed toward the door.

"Were you here all night?" Bonnie questioned.

Stefan nodded. "I wanted to make sure you were okay," he explained. Stefan read the question in her expression. "Don't worry, I slept on the floor. No funny business, I promise." Bonnie had already figured this but it felt good to hear him say it. "You might want to give Caroline a call. And maybe even Damon."

Bonnie's brow scrunched in confusion. "Why would I call Damon?"

"I just think he might be interested in knowing how you feel," Stefan said, mysteriously. "Even a text would do. I'll be back with your breakfast.

"You're a good guy, Stefan Salvatore," Bonnie declared. He gave her a humble smile, and she returned it just before bending over and hurling into the trashcan he'd strategically placed next to the bed.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, guys! It really does inspire me to get more stuff out there when you guys give me your feedback. This isn't the first fanfic I've written, but it's the first I've ever published and I was nervous about it, so thank you guys again for giving this story a chance. And a special thanks to the ones who could tell I was new at this and let me know exactly what I'm supposed to do when I post a new story, lol. Anyway, here is more. Hope you enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement intended.

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><p><strong><em>Stefan said I should txt u 2 let u know I'm fine, so this is my txt to let u know I'm fine.<em>**

That was the message Damon received from Bonnie, at 9:15 am as he lay beside a nude, slumbering Elena. He fought the urge to call her and chew her out. Stefan had sent him a warning text not to mention Bonnie's encounter with Rapey Frat Guy, but Damon very much wanted to get on her about her reckless behavior. Out of she, Caroline, and Elena, she was always the smart one, she was always the most responsible, and she was always the one that kept a level head even during the worst of times. He decided that would be a better suited conversation for the next time he saw her in person, as she couldn't hang up on him that way. For the time being, he had his own issues to deal with.

Declining to reply to that snarky message, he slightly shifted so he could put the phone back on the night stand, and Elena stirred next to him. She opened her pretty brown eyes and gazed at him.

"Good morning, baby," she said in the raspy voice he'd always found sexy.

"Morning to you, beautiful," he said. His tone was a lot more flat than when he usually said these words to her.

Damon had successfully snuck into her dorm with certain intentions. With the notable absence of Caroline and Bonnie, Elena mistook his intentions and as usual, they capped the night with hot sex, and his real reasons for seeing her went out the window. He couldn't be distracted today. He had to have this conversation with Elena.

He snapped to attention as she started to climb on him, ready to go another round. He quickly sat up, pulling the sheets around his man parts to block her access. "Aren't you hungry?" He questioned. "Let's go eat. I want to make you to breakfast."

"We can eat after." She went for a kiss but he slightly moved his head back.

"We have all day," he said with a forced smile. "I want to spend some of it outside of this room, and you know how much I hate this bed." Shock was added to confusion when he gently pushed her aside and got up, heading to the bathroom in nothing but his boxers. Never had Damon Salvatore ever turned down an opportunity for sex of any kind with her. It didn't matter the time or the place, when it could go down it went down. He had voiced his preference for getting together at his place, but the discomfort of her smaller bed had never deterred him completely. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

A little while later, they were in the kitchen of the Salvatore mansion, and Damon was serving Elena up some blueberry pancakes. He took a seat at the table across from her and they silently dug into his well-prepared meal.

"Where's your brother?" Elena tried to sound nonchalant in asking the question. Ever since she'd left him for his brother, Stefan had been making his presence around the mansion scarce. Elena didn't want to shove anything in his face, but she did miss seeing and having him around. He hadn't only been her boyfriend, but he'd been her best friend too. As much as she wanted him back as a friend, he wasn't quite there yet, and she secretly was having some difficulty adjusting to life without him. When he'd initially found out about her and Damon, a punch or two had been thrown between the Salvatores, but at the end of the day they were still brothers, and they were working on forgiveness and maintaining a civil relationship. However, Stefan's relationship with Elena was very strained, and their few interactions since their break-up were all awkward.

Damon took a long moment to chew his bacon before answering her. "He's at Bonnie's."

Elena raised her eyebrows. "Why?"

"Did you not notice that she didn't come back to the room last night?"

"Well, Caroline had texted me that she was going to be with Jesse, and I figured Bonnie was with Jeremy or something." She wasn't going to say that she was too wrapped up being wrapped up in the sheets with Damon to notice or care.

"Well, little Miss Bennett had a little too much to drink," Damon revealed.

"Seriously?" Elena was surprised by this. Bonnie liked to drink like the rest of them, but she never got black out drunk. Which is why she spent most of their junior and senior years of high school being designated driver. "What does that have to do with Stefan?"

"Oh, you know Stefan," Damon said. "He's the good guy. He likes to take care of people. Lord knows I wasn't going to do it."

"Why do you always say things like that?" Elena snapped.

"Like what?"

"That Stefan's the good guy," Elena said. "As if you're not a good guy."

"It's not what I'm known for," he replied, pointedly.

"Nobody in this world is perfect, Damon," Elena argued. "Stefan is no better or worse a person than you are, so stop with the self guilt-tripping comments."

Damon put down his fork. He wasn't going to delay the inevitable any longer. He reached across the table and took Elena's hand in his. "Elena, I love you so much," he said. "And I don't mean to piss you off when I say things like that. I can't help but think that Stefan is a better man than me. He's loyal to a fault. If the situation was reversed, he would've never done what I did. Regardless of how he felt about you."

"He did it with Katherine."

"That was different," Damon disagreed. He still cringed at the mention of his now-deceased-ex-girlfriend's name. He didn't usually speak ill of the dead, but she had been a cold-hearted, mean, manipulative bitch. All the way up until the day of the car crash that ended her life. "She lied to us, led us both on. Stefan was young and in love, and we were both stupid when it came to her."

"So, you think you're being stupid when it comes to me?" Elena could not hide the hurt in her voice.

"I'm being selfish," he admitted. "Elena, I think you need to get a TiMER."

She had not being expecting that. "What?!" She snatched her hand from his grip.

"Please, just hear me out-"

"So, you're having doubts about us?!" Elena was getting riled up, and tears were brimming her eyes.

"Have no doubt about how much I love you," Damon tried to reach out but she slapped his hand away and stood.

"Don't touch me, Damon!" She cried. "People get a TiMER for one reason, and that's to find their soulmate. If you want to get one it's because you think you haven't found your soulmate in me!"

"This is about you!" Damon exclaimed. He stood and rounded the table to come face-to-face with her. "I know you're the one for me! I'm not getting one!"

"So, why should I?!"

"Because I'm not the one for you!" Damon cried. Elena fell silent. "See this, see what we're doing here? Fighting. This is what we mostly do, if we're not rolling around in bed. What kind of relationship is that? What good is that for you? We love each other, but you deserve to be in love and happy."

"I am happy," Elena argued.

"But for how long?" Damon questioned.

"If you don't want to be with me, fine!" Elena snapped. "But don't use this TiMER thing as a way out. Just be a man about it, and say you don't want to be with me!" Damon remained quiet and she gave him one last glaring look before storming past him.

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><p>"Four months and fourteen days."<p>

Stefan looked curiously at Bonnie as she nibbled on a piece of bacon. "What's that?" He questioned.

She put the strip back down on the tray of food on her lap. "That's how long until Jeremy meets his soulmate." Bonnie sighed, then pulled up the sleeve of her shirt, revealing the blank device implanted in her right arm. Understanding began to dawn on Stefan.

"You guys got TiMERs," he said.

"I finally gave into the fight," Bonnie said, unsuccessfully urging back the tears brimming her eyes. "After weeks of back and forth about this damn thing, we went together to prove to ourselves that our love was real. His activated immediately, and mine...either my so-called soulmate just isn't getting one, or there isn't anyone out there for me."

"There's someone for everyone," Stefan quickly countered.

"Even if that is true, what if he never gets a TiMER?" Bonnie inquired. "Now, I have to watch every guy that comes into my life TiME Out with a different girl. I could be single for the rest of my life because of this stupid thing. I'm stuck with it, Stefan. I'm stuck with this constant reminder of my failed love life!" She couldn't hold it back any longer and the tears began to spill over. Stefan quickly wrapped her up in his arms and held onto her as she wept into his chest.

"It's all going to be okay, Bonnie," he promised in a comforting tone. "There is a very lucky guy out there for you." She continued to sob. She'd been holding it in since she'd last saw Jeremy, yet she still couldn't believe how hard she was crying now. Stefan continued to hold her and assure her she wasn't doomed to a life of loneliness. It saddened him to see her this way. Bonnie was always such a strong woman, and she'd never broken down her emotional barriers to this extent, and she didn't expect it to happen with him.

When she had gained a better control of her emotions, Stefan pulled her away and held her by both shoulders so he could look into her eyes as he spoke. "Bonnie Bennett, you are a beautiful, strong, intelligent woman," he told her. "You are a good person, a loyal friend, you don't take shit from anybody," that solicited a slight smile from Bonnie, "and you have everything going for you. How can you sit here right now, and say you won't find anyone? Do you know how many men are looking for a girl just like you? Fuck technology and whatever these damn TiMERs say. You will find love."

"You are such a good friend, Stefan," Bonnie told him, leaning on his chest again. "Elena is crazy for letting you go."

"Well, not too long ago I was feeling exactly how you're feeling right now," he said. "It gets better every day. And even though it hurts me that Elena may not be the one I'm supposed to be with, I have faith that I will find the one that is."

The sound of the doorbell intruded in on the conversation. "Do you want me to get it?" Stefan asked.

"No, I can get up," Bonnie said, quickly. "You've taken care of me so well, but I'm getting a little spoiled. I might get used to this if you don't watch out." Stefan chuckled and Bonnie headed downstairs. She was feeling much better and she didn't know if it was because of the coffee and medicine she'd taken, or Stefan's presence. She opened the door to reveal a very pretty, very concerned blonde on the other side.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Caroline rushed into her arms. "I am so glad you're okay! I came as soon as I could!" Bonnie was a little surprised by her level of emotion.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said. "I've been through worse things than a hangover. I told you you didn't have to come when I talked to you earlier."

"Of course I came, don't be ridiculous," Caroline replied. "A hangover is the least of your problems. I can only imagine what you're feeling after-"

"Caroline..." Both girls looked to see Stefan at the top of the stairs, giving Caroline a look.

"Oh, didn't realize you were still here," Caroline said, her voice a little deflated. Stefan came down the stairs.

"He's been here all morning," Bonnie said with a smile. "He even held my hair while I puked. Speaking of, I have to go the bathroom. I'll be right back. I'm guessing you're not going anywhere, Care, so make yourself at home."

"I plan to," Caroline replied as Bonnie headed to the bathroom. "I've come fully prepared with all the hangover essentials." She said to Stefan. He had called her while Bonnie was still asleep, filling her in on the details of the night before and assuring her Bonnie was fine.

"I have no doubt," he said. "Look, I know I already told you this when we talked earlier, but I'm going to ask you again. Please don't mention the incident from last night. She hasn't said anything and I don't think she remembers much of it."

"I wish I had seen this coming," Caroline complained. "I would've never left."

"There's no way you could've seen this coming," Stefan promised. "Just don't say anything, please."

"Fine," Caroline said, rolling her eyes. "But she does need to know eventually."

"She will," Stefan said. "She's just been having a rough couple days. She doesn't need any added stress right now."

"All right, I hear you," she said. "You really care, don't you?"

"I'm a good friend," he responded. "I would be doing the exact same thing if it were you."

Caroline smiled. "That's nice to know. Thank you so much for taking care of her, but you're officially relieved of your duties. We need our girl time."

Stefan smiled. "I would never want to disturb girl time."

Bonnie came out of the bathroom just as he was heading to the door. "You're leaving?" She called.

"Yeah, you have an even better caretaker here now," he said half-jokingly. "I'm confident I'm leaving you in good hands."

"Well, I really appreciate everything," she said as she embraced him.

"It's not a problem," he said. "Just promise me that next time you're feeling that bummed out, you won't pick up a bottle but you'll pick up the phone. You can call on the usual suspects, Caroline or Elena, but you can call me too. I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Stefan." Bonnie was touched by this declaration. She and Caroline waved him out the door before shutting it behind him.

"Now, I have soup, I have movies, I have girl talk," Caroline started.

"I'm guessing some of this girl talk involves a guy named Jesse," Bonnie said.

"You guessed correctly," Caroline refrained from squealing. "Oh my God, Bon, I have some much to tell you! Last night we-"

She was interrupted by a loud beeping noise. "What was that?" Bonnie asked.

"I have no idea," Caroline replied. "My phone doesn't sound like that. Was it yours?"

"My phone is upstairs," Bonnie replied. Caroline shifted her purse from her hand and slung it over her shoulder. Bonnie then noticed a dull white light coming from beneath her sleeve. Caroline was confused as Bonnie pointed. "Um, Caroline..."

The blonde looked down and, noticing it as well, pulled up the sleeve of her shirt. Both girls' eyes widened. Her TiMER had started.

"Omigod..." Caroline was speechless. After a moment of stunned silence, Bonnie let out the first squeal.

"Caroline, this is amazing!" Bonnie cried, embracing her shocked friend. "This is the moment you've been waiting for. Your soulmate is out there, he got a TiMER! You're going to meet The One!"

"Bonnie, look at what it says," Caroline said, breathlessly. Bonnie looked down at her arm and actually read it. 00:00:28:32:16s. "That's tomorrow! Twenty-eight hours and thirty-two minutes."

"Oh my God." Bonnie felt like she needed to sit down. Her best friend had waited technically two years for this, but really all her life, and now the day was basically here and they were totally unprepared. She didn't know what to think or do, or what you were supposed to do when it came to this.

Caroline shook her head. "Bonnie, I don't think I'm ready for this."

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><p><strong>Let me know what you think! I think I'll be posting more on Friday, so be sure to check back. <strong>

**Happy Holidays! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews/favs/follows! We're nearly at the end and I hope you've all enjoyed this so far. I was determined to update today like I said I would, although it is a little later than I anticipated. **

**For the ones that are still confused about exactly what a TiMER is I apologize if I wasn't clear about it with my descriptions. A TiMER is a device that is implanted in your right arm, and it counts down to when you meet your soulmate. If your TiMER is blank, it means your soulmate has not yet received one. When you do meet your soulmate, your TiMER will remain at 00:00:00:00:00 (weeks:days:hours:minutes:seconds). So if it said 312:08:04:12:54s, you would have about six years until you met your mate. I made the timing more specific than in the movie, which counts to the day but not the exact second. You can NOT TiME Out with more than one person.** **If you want to see what the devices look like I suggest watching the movie. It's a cute little rom-com, and after watching I was just really tempted to stick the TVD characters in that universe and craft my own story from that. That's what fanfic is all about anyway. **

**I hope you enjoy this update! Don't forget to let me know what you think!**

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement intended.

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><p>Damon was downing his third glass of bourbon, at his usual spot at the Mystic Grill, when a very small person leaned on the bar top next to him. He didn't need to turn his head to know who's little judgmental eyes were on him.<p>

"What are you looking at?"

"Daytime drinking yet again, Damon?" Bonnie asked.

"You're the last person who needs to be talking to me about drinking, Judgy," he quipped. "You shouldn't even be anywhere near this bar."

"Drinking at a college party makes a lot more sense than drinking every time you feel some type of emotion."

"Are you here for a reason or did you just come to bother me!" Damon snapped.

"Wow, you're a little sassier than usual," Bonnie noted. She settled into the stool beside him, causing him to roll his eyes. "I'm guessing Elena problems."

"I'm guessing it's none of your damn business."

"You talked to her about the TiMER thing, didn't you?" Bonnie guessed.

Damon took a sip of the drink the bartender just placed before him. "You'll probably be happy to know you were right. She didn't go for it."

"That doesn't make me happy," Bonnie disagreed. "I understand why you wanted that, but I get where Elena is coming from too." She sighed then pulled up her sleeve and held out her arm. Damon looked down at her blank TiMER. "Jeremy now knows he has four months until he meets the one, and I have no clue of my future. I just know that I can't be with the man I love. He kept insisting that it didn't matter, that he only wanted me, but I knew I had to let him go right then and there because I would only end up more hurt in the long run. So, I get what you're trying to do Damon, I really do. But Elena doesn't want to lose you."

Damon gulped down some more of his drink then brought the glass down hard on the table. "Sucks you and Gilbert couldn't work it out. You're a little less annoying when you're in a relationship. Only a little."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Regardless, I didn't come over here to talk to you about that," she admitted. "I came here to thank you for the other night."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you were there," she revealed. "At that party. And I know what you did for me."

"Memory came back to you, did it?"

"Only bits and pieces," she explained. "I remember dancing with some guy, being in this room with him, I remember loud banging, then shouting. And I remember hearing your voice, asking me if I was okay. All the details were blurry, but Caroline filled them in for me. She blurted out the truth in the middle of us picking out her meeting-her-soulmate outfit, said she couldn't stand to hold it in any longer."

"It's only been a day," Damon pointed out and Bonnie nodded in agreement. That was the Caroline they knew and loved. Or tolerated in Damon's case. "Figures. I told Stefan not to tell her if he wanted it to be a secret. What do you mean, meeting her soulmate?"

"Her TiMER started counting down yesterday," Bonnie explained. "She's got less than half an hour and she's been freaking out."

"It might be that Jesse guy she's been seeing," Damon suggested.

"It's not," Bonnie corrected. "He still hasn't gotten one. He was the first call we made. So she was a little bummed about that, and I'm sure she's been feeling every emotion there is since then. Which is why I need to get back over to her." Bonnie stood. "And I'm going to warn you that Elena is meeting us here, just to avoid any awkward run-ins." She walked away and Damon watched her go, eyes on her as she settled into a seat across from Caroline who looked as nervous as a hen, a very out-of-character trait for her. He couldn't help but be curious about what he was about to witness. He'd never actually seen anyone he knew TiME Out.

Bonnie reached out and took Caroline's hand. "It's okay to be a little scared, Caroline," Bonnie said, reassuringly. "But this is a thing to celebrate. I know whoever he is, he's going to be a great guy. And I better be a bridesmaid."

Caroline smiled. "Maid of honor."

A few minutes later, Elena was coming through the door, just as excited and nervous as them. She didn't even glance Damon's way as she sat with her friends. She knew she'd become a bit of a self-absorbed person since she started dating Salvatores, as they always made her feel the world revolved around her, but today it was about Caroline. She could deal with her personal issues later, but now she had to be there for her friend.

The three girls sat together, hand in hand, and watched the door as Caroline's TiMER counted down to zero.

* * *

><p>"Klaus Mikaelson!" Stefan cried into Bonnie's ear. "Are you kidding me?!"<p>

"Nope," she said, putting her books into her bag as she talked on the phone. "Klaus Mikaelson is actually Caroline Forbes' soulmate. Isn't it ironic?"

"He chased her relentlessly for almost a year, and she refused to give him a chance," Stefan recalled. "She told me before that she couldn't stand him. She can't be too happy right now."

"She flipped out," Bonnie replied. "She's doing better now that Elena and I have rationalized with her a little bit. I'm surprised you were fooled by her act. She never hated Klaus. She was with Tyler when they met and he caused so much trouble in their relationship that she felt she had to hate him. That was before that whole TiMER business ultimately broke them up, of course. She'll never admit to this, but if Klaus hadn't moved to Louisiana with his family, she would've eventually given into that accent and those dimples of his. And there is something a little sexy about a bad boy with a soft side."

Stefan chuckled. "Sounds like you might have a little thing for him yourself."

"Oh no, I never liked the guy but I'm not blind," she said. "He's attractive. And he promises to make changes now that Caroline is in his life."

"What is he doing back in Mystic Falls anyway?"

"Apparently, he and his sister were just visiting and they decided to get TiMERs on a whim," Bonnie explained. "He claims when his immediately turned on and he saw he was only hours away from meeting his soulmate, he knew it was Caroline. A little sappy but cute if it's true. Tyler is going to be devastated when he finds out, though. He really does hate the guy."

"Yikes," Stefan replied. "It is not going to be a pretty scene when those two run into each other again."

"Tell me about it." Bonnie slung her school bag over her shoulder and headed toward the door. "But hey, I have a class to get to so I'm going to have to..." Bonnie opened the door to reveal Jeremy on the other side. "...call you back."

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><p><em>Two Months Later...<em>

Bonnie moved her head as Jeremy leaned in. "Jeremy, seriously, don't try to kiss me," she scolded.

"Why not?" He huffed. "Are you really trying to tell me you don't miss this?"

"You know I miss you," she said. "But I'm going to tell you what I told you that day you popped up at my dorm. It's not a good idea for us to go there with each other. Why do this to ourselves? We know what's going to happen in a couple months. We know how this is going to end!"

"Bonnie, I need you in my life," Jeremy stated. "I just can't do this without you, and I can't even fathom the thought of you not being the one for me." He sighed. "Let me take you to Caroline's party tonight."

A party was being thrown at the Salvatore mansion to celebrate Caroline and Klaus _'finding'_ each other. Elena and Bonnie were heading the party-throwing committee. Caroline had been resistant to Klaus at first, certain that life was playing a cruel joke on her and she actually wasn't supposed to TiME Out with _him_, but eventually she agreed to a date. They dated for a little while, and soon his English charm won her over, and they were officially a couple.

"I don't think so, Jer."

"Please," he insisted. "We'll just go as friends. I won't try to kiss you, I promise. Unless you want me too. I just miss you so much." Bonnie sighed. She couldn't deny how much she'd missed him too.

"I guess so," she agreed, and Jeremy couldn't hold back a grin.

"You won't regret this."

"I hope not," Bonnie said, "I have to go now, or your sister will kill me for being late. We have to finish setting up. Thanks for walking me to my car."

"Of course." Jeremy had called her earlier and asked her to meet him at Mystic Grill. She gave him a hard time about it, as she always did, but eventually agreed to it. TiMER or not, he knew he was never going to stop loving this girl.

Bonnie unlocked her car door and turned to give him a goodbye hug. As they embraced, a now too familiar loud beep rang out in the air. "What the hell?" Jeremy muttered. Bonnie's heart skipped a beat. It couldn't be, could it? She snatched up the sleeve of her shirt and looked at her TiMER.

00:00:06:22:46s

Ten minutes away, both Salvatore brothers emerged from the TiMER store, freshly installed. Both brothers devices started counting down at the exact same moment as Bonnie Bennett's.

* * *

><p>"Elena is going to kill you."<p>

This was something Damon already knew, and did not need to be reminded of. "Thanks, Stefan," he said, sarcastically. "I really need to keep hearing that."

"I just don't get you," Stefan said as they ambled along Fifth Street, brand new TiMERS installed in their forearms. "You fought to be with this girl for a year and a half! You finally get her, and start pushing for her to get a TiMER while maintaining that you won't get one, knowing that this could ruin everything you fought for."

"I know what happened, Stefan," Damon said with a roll of his eyes.

"You finally convince her to do it!" Stefan continued on as if Damon hadn't spoken. "And her TiMER remains blank. She gets all excited, taking that as a sign that you are her One since you don't have a TiMER, and you guys continue on with your lovely relationship. She says she wants to get her TiMER removed but you say no-"

"If she removes it she'll never be able to get another one!" Damon argued. They had reached Damon's Camaro at this point and Stefan was shaking his head as they got in the car.

"That could have solved this whole thing," Stefan said. "You two could've lived your happily ever after and everything would be fine, but no, Damon G. Salvatore can never just let things be. So, now you have a TiMER and it's counting down, so my question to you is, what the hell are you going to do?" Stefan couldn't help but find a little amusement in the situation.

"I'm going to find out if her TiMER started," Damon said, simply.

"And if it didn't?"

"How about I ask you some questions!" Damon snapped. "What was your reason for doing this? You were never interested before."

Stefan shrugged. "Yeah, well, I changed my mind."

"Why?" Damon pressed. "Let's be honest, brother! When Elena's TiMER was blank, it gave you hope. You thought there was a chance that Elena actually was your soulmate, and you wanted to find out."

"That's not true," Stefan said, seriously.

"You sure?"

"I don't feel that way about Elena anymore," Stefan responded. "Her sleeping with you pretty much nipped all those kind of feelings in the bud. There's a lot of good women out there, I just hoped that one of them were for me. At the end of the day everybody wants love, and now we both know we're going to find it. One of us just a little sooner than the other."

"Well, if hers has started..." Damon faltered a bit. "And you're the one that...?"

"Something is telling me that's not the case," Stefan said. "Either way, we'll cross that bridge if we come to it, brother. Just try not to make a scene when Elena attempts to kill you at Caroline's party tonight."

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><p>Bonnie examined herself in the full length mirror in Damon's room, making sure everything was in place. She had taken extra care into the way she looked tonight. She wore a form-fitting black dress with a pair of four inch heels. Her brown hair cascaded down her back and over her shoulders, perfectly framing her heart-shaped face, and she wore her favorite eyeshadow that made her emerald eyes pop. She didn't know what to expect tonight, but if she was going to be meeting someone new who would essentially be very important in her life, she didn't want to do it looking basic. Elena appeared in the mirror behind her.<p>

"You look stunning," Elena complimented her. She looked gorgeous herself, in a little black dress of her own, and a red lipstick that was quite flattering on her. Caroline was using Stefan's room to get ready, and Bonnie knew she wouldn't be coming out for at least another ten minutes, despite the fact the party was already starting below them. Miss Forbes always had to make an entrance.

"Are you nervous?" Elena asked.

Bonnie took a deep breath. "I've been trying not to think about it," she replied. As she said it, she couldn't help but sneak a glance at her TiMER. 00:00:02:46:34s. Jeremy had been none too pleased when it started up right after she'd agreed to a date, but they needed no more proof. She wasn't the one for him, and he was not the one for her. "Tonight is about Caroline. And if I take her thunder in any way, she'll kill me."

Elena laughed and nodded in agreement. Bonnie looked at Elena's blank TiMER. "Have you decided that you're going to get it removed?' She questioned.

Elena shrugged her shoulders. "Damon has said he doesn't want me to," she replied. "I guess it doesn't matter. I know in my heart that my TiMER is blank because Damon doesn't have one. I love him, and that's what matters."

"You don't think there's a chance at all that your TiMER didn't start because Stefan doesn't have one?" Bonnie dared to ask. Elena sighed.

"Stefan is my past. Damon is my future," she stated confidently.

Bonnie hadn't really admitted this to herself, but when Elena had called her right after getting her TiMER installed, Bonnie felt a small twinge of disappointment when she said it hadn't activated. That meant there was a chance that one of the Salvatore brothers was Elena's soulmate, and for a reason Bonnie couldn't explain to herself, she had hoped that neither of them were. Bonnie had voiced her disapproval of Stefan when he and Elena first started dating. His dark and mysterious thing was sexy at first, but it quickly became suspicious and crippling to the relationship. As Bonnie got to know him and they became friends, she realized he had just been guarded, and it just took a certain brunette to get him to bring that guard down.

Then Damon blew into town and caused a stir in everyone's life. He and Bonnie immediately got off on the wrong foot. Running in the same circle forced them in each other's presence, and their constant bickering like an old, married couple drove everyone around them crazy, but people just accepted that to be them. Bonnie's, along with Caroline's, disapproval of Damon for Elena was much louder than anything before, which caused a temporary rift between the girls, but it wasn't just because of the Damon of it all, but because of their betrayal of Stefan. Now, Bonnie believed they all could do better than each other. There was still a small nagging feeling in Bonnie that she didn't want Elena with a Salvatore for a deeper reason, that she was choosing to ignore.

"Come on." The brunette reached out to take Bonnie's hand. "We have a party to host." All smiles they walked out the room together. As they made their way down the hall they ran into a dapper Klaus pacing outside of Stefan's bedroom door.

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

"It's Caroline," Klaus responded in his perfectly refined British accent. "She's taking forever and she won't let me in. She doesn't want me to see her yet."

"Why not?" Bonnie asked. "It's not your wedding day."

"Trust me, I have said that a hundred times," Klaus said. "But...Caroline." Elena and Bonnie both exchanged a knowing look and smile. Yes, this was just like the Caroline they knew and loved.

"We're going downstairs," Elena told him. "Let us know when she's ready to make her big entrance." Klaus nodded and Elena and Bonnie headed down the winding staircase.

At the same moment Stefan was walking up the driveway, arm-in-arm with Klaus' sister, Rebekah Mikaelson. She had called him earlier and told him, rather than asked like a normal person, that he was her date to the party. Stefan didn't bother telling her about his TiMER, or even telling her no, because he knew it wouldn't have made a difference to her. She wasn't due to meet her soulmate until she was in her thirties, a long way away, but she was determined not to be alone until then. When she had still been living in Mystic Falls they had slept together once, but she had just been a rebound hook-up after Elena. She was hot, but whiny and entitled and not at all Stefan's type. Yet, always the gentleman, he would pick her up on time as she demanded and escorted her to his house for the party.

As they headed to the front door, which was open with the music and hubbub spilling out into the night air, his cell rang. He saw it was Damon and picked it up. "Where are you?" He demanded in place of a greeting.

"I'm in Richton," Damon replied.

"What are you doing there?!" Stefan cried. He could pick up some of the background noise. "You're at a bar."

"Sometimes I need a setting outside of the Mystic Grill."

"Well, you need to get back ASAP," Stefan instructed. "The party's already started."

"About that..." Damon began uncertainly. "I'm not coming."

"What do you mean you're not coming?" Stefan snapped. Rebekah rolled her eyes and loudly smacked her teeth as they lingered in the doorway. She wanted to get inside and get her hands on the food and wine already.

"I'm not up for partying tonight, brother."

"You're not up for dealing with Elena tonight," Stefan corrected.

"I know for a fact that if her TiMER had started, she would've called me right away."

"If you don't want to talk about it right away, wear long sleeves, problem solved."

"That will not solve the problem and you know it," Damon replied. "It never takes Elena more than two minutes to find things out. Especially if Caroline is around." Stefan couldn't argue with that. "Do me a favor, and stay away from her the entire night. You'll crack like an egg once she starts asking questions. She doesn't need to know right now that you have one, either."

"It'll be fine, she'll be too distracted. Just come on."

"Maybe next time."

The sound of Damon hanging up on him was the next thing he heard. He sighed and put his phone back in his pocket, finally walking Rebekah inside the house. All the guests were nicely dressed and keeping it cool. Elena and Bonnie had done a nice job of throwing a cute little formal cocktail party, as opposed to the ragers they were known to throw in high school.

Stefan and Rebekah smiled and waved at people as they walked in but before they could enter the family room where the main event was being held, they were intercepted by a friendly face.

"You made it." Alaric Saltzman, one of Damon's very few friends and Elena's former stepfather/history teacher approached them.

"Well, I do live here, so I would have no choice but to show up eventually," Stefan joked.

Alaric gave a small chuckle and looked to the blonde in the fiery red dress that was hanging on Stefan's arm. "You look nice, Rebekah."

She shot him a smug smile. "Thank you. Where are the hors d'oeuvres?" She was off before anyone could respond, causing both Stefan and Alaric to chuckle.

"Where's Damon?" Alaric questioned.

"Richton," Stefan said with an eye roll.

"Why the hell is he there?" Alaric asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. Understanding quickly dawned on him. "He doesn't want to have to tell Elena what he did." Stefan was not surprised Damon had confided in Alaric.

"Yes, he's being an ass about it."

"A dumbass more than anything for doing this to himself," Alaric said. "But maybe this isn't the time and place for her to find out."

"Hey Stefan!" A cheery Elena appeared as if from nowhere and threw her arms around her ex in a friendly hug. "It's so nice to see you."

"Same here," Stefan said, quickly putting on a smile. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks, you're not so bad yourself," she said. "Where's Damon?"

"He's...uh..." Stefan looked to Alaric for help. The college professor gave a slight shake of the head. "He's running late. He'll be here as soon as he can."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Of course. I asked him to please just be here on time and he can't even do that. Anyway, you guys might want to go into the family room. Caroline will be down any second." She gave a smile and headed off to continue her hosting duties.

"On second thought, not showing up at all could get Damon in even more trouble," Alaric realized.

"We should go get him," Stefan concluded.

"Yeah." And the two men headed off, sneaking out the door without a word to anyone.

Elena walked over to Bonnie who was by the fireplace with an empty wine glass in her hand, having a conversation with Matt Donovan.

"I still have another six years on mine," Matt was saying when she walked up. "You must be nervous. Less than an hour! It's gotta be someone we know. Unless you leave before then."

"Hey, I need your help in the kitchen," Elena fibbed.

"Yeah, sure." Bonnie quickly departed with Elena, leaving Matt to find someone else to chat with. "Omigod, thank you."

Elena chuckled. "No problem," she said. "You looked like you needed rescue."

"I love Matt to death but I was going to shove this glass down his throat if he didn't shut up about this damn TiMER thing," Bonnie vented. Elena passed her the glass of wine she had in her own hand.

"You need this more than I do," she proclaimed. "Come on, Caroline is ready."

Both of the ladies stood next to the entrance of the family room and Bonnie called for everyone's attention. When all was quiet in the room, Elena spoke up. "I would like everyone to please welcome our guests of honor, Mr. Niklaus Mikaelson and Miss Caroline Forbes." The silence erupted with applause as Klaus and Caroline swept into the room, arm in arm, smiling from ear to ear. Caroline looked stunning in a sweeping, strapless blue gown, her blonde locks flowed down her back, not a hair out of place. Klaus looked fitting to be a trophy husband. The pair was greeted with an overwhelming amount of hugs, kisses, handshakes, and congratulations. There was no denying that they were a beautiful couple.

Caroline was gushing when Elena and Bonnie approached after giving her room to let her get her greetings out of the way. "Thank you guys so much for doing this!" She exclaimed.

"Of course!" Elena cried as they all embraced. "We love you, Care."

"Yes," Bonnie agreed. "And eventually we'll learn to love Klaus. Maybe." They laughed and the party was in full swing now that the guests of honor had made their entrance. Jeremy didn't show up, and Bonnie knew this was because he couldn't handle watching her TiME Out with someone else. Bonnie had to will herself to slow down when she found herself repeatedly filling up her wine glass. She was not going to have any repeats of that night at the frat party. Soon, she found herself wondering where Stefan and Damon were. Especially, when Caroline voiced the question out loud. The night was a great one for her friends, but every minute that passed Bonnie felt that she might have a nervous breakdown. More than anything, she was regretting getting that damn TiMER.

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><p><strong>AN: One more chapter left! I'll post as soon as I can but I do work all weekend. R&R!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey, I've uploaded a new story! It would be awesome if you guys checked it out after this. I am going to miss this fic, though. Hope you all enjoy this last update. **

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to LJ Smith and The CW. No copyright infringement intended.

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><p>"You guys are annoying," Damon told his brother and best friend as they crept up the driveway of the Salvatore mansion in Stefan's car.<p>

"You don't think it's annoying that we had to leave and go get you," Alaric quipped. "In Richton! Who the fuck goes to Richton?"

"Did you not see the women in there?" Damon said. "You need to get out of Mystic Falls a little more, _professor_." His tone was biting. Stefan parked the car and quickly got out. He was annoyed he'd already missed so much because of his brother. He wasn't that big into these types of parties, but he wanted to be there to support Caroline, and admittedly, he wanted to spend time with Bonnie. They hadn't hung out much since their impromptu sleepover, even in a group setting, and he wanted to catch up with her.

"Let's go!" He yelled to his brother. Damon hopped out of the car in a huff. He was not looking forward to what was in store for him.

Inside, Elena and Bonnie had just finished a toast in honor of Caroline and Klaus. When Bonnie held her glass up, she nearly had a panic attack when she looked at her arm.

00:00:00:00:12s

She needed to get some air. Now. She put her glass down and made a beeline for the exit. Elena turned to say something to her and spotted her practically power walking out of the room. Curious about her friend's hasty exit, she started to follow her.

As Bonnie was walking out into the foyer, Stefan was walking in, two men trailing behind him. She and Stefan stopped at the sight of each other, and her TiMER counted down to zero. The sound of a melodious tune rang obnoxiously loud out into the air. Bonnie's heart stopped.

Stefan's brow furrowed and Damon stepped up beside him. Now, Stefan's heart dropped into his stomach. This could not be. The sound of the music that was coming from Bonnie was also coming from his brother. Damon slowly pulled up the sleeve of his shirt. His TiMER read 00:00:00:00:00. He looked from his to Bonnie's, the expression on his face unreadable. The sound of the devices had drawn the party guests to the foyer, and realization was slowly kicking in for everybody. Including Elena.

Realizing she was now beside her, Bonnie turned to her best friend. "Elena..."

Elena slowly shook her head. "No." She had no other words. "No...this can't...no..." She was certain this was a nightmare she would soon wake up from, but the horror and embarrassment she was feeling with all these eyes on her, felt all too real. She turned and flew from the room, tears pouring from her eyes. Caroline quickly followed her, but Damon was glued to his spot, still staring at Bonnie in disbelief. Bonnie gave him another look, before turning and following Elena. Bonnie, Stefan, Damon, Elena, Caroline, and everyone at that party, knew that nothing would ever be the same again.

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><p><em>Two Weeks Later...<em>

Bonnie exited her final class of the day, grateful to be done with the last mid-term before vacation. Whitmore College was a good school and she liked being a student there, but she was more than ready to take a break from the books, and the papers, and the lectures, and especially the labs. At the same time she wasn't fully ready to go back to Mystic Falls and face whatever was waiting for her back there. Maybe she could hide out in her dad's house for the entire vacation, and maybe they wouldn't drive each other completely crazy.

As she was contemplating this and walking the large campus toward her dorm, a muscular body clad in jeans and a black, leather jacket creeped up beside her.

"How was your test, Bon Bon?"

"What the hell are you doing here, Damon?" Bonnie asked, incredulously.

"Nostalgia," he replied, casually strolling alongside her. "Wanted to reminisce about my good old days as a Whitmore student. Thought I might check in on you since you've been avoiding me like the plague for the past sixteen days."

"I can't do this right now, Damon," Bonnie said, picking up her pace.

"You can't run from this forever, Bonnie!" Damon called after, putting his pace to a halt.

"What the hell am I supposed to do!" Bonnie cried out, whirling around to face him. "What am I supposed to say to you?! My best friend has been heartbroken and crying for weeks! She can barely stand to look at me, let alone speak to me. And it's your fault."

How is it my fault? I have no control over this thing?!"

"You had control over if you were going to get the damn thing in the first place!" Bonnie reminded. "You had swore up and down you wouldn't!"

"If I had known the outcome I wouldn't have," Damon responded in a biting tone. "Look, I'm sure there's a million other people you would have preferred to TiME Out with, but what happened happened, and there's nothing we can do to change it."

"You're right," Bonnie said, shifting the books in her arm. "All we can do is move on. That's what I've been doing." Damon was silent for a long moment as he caught a glimpse of her right arm.

"You got it removed," he realized. Bonnie sighed.

"Why did you come here?" She asked. "What did you expect to happen? We can't be each other's soul mates. We don't even like each other!"

"Hey, I feel the same way!" Damon snapped. "I wasn't climbing up any walls in joy either, Bonnie, but this is the world we live in now! You may have removed it in an effort to remove me, but you can't remove what it has already shown us! According to science and technology-"

"Fuck technology!" Bonnie snapped, a sentiment she'd picked up from a dear friend. "I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Caroline. Neither the Universe nor Science gets to decide who I should be with. I do!" She turned and stalked away. After deliberating for a moment, Damon quickly caught up to her and gently grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.

"Look, we never gave us a chance to get along," he said, in a much softer tone. "It's not too late to change that. We need to start over. Let's go to dinner. Tonight, 7pm." Bonnie was shocked by this.

She shook her head. "I don't think so, Damon."

He put his hands up with an innocent look. "I promise to be nice," he said. "It'll be like a do-over, and we can try and get to know each other. If the evening starts to go sour, we can call it a night before we fall back into our typical Damon/Bonnie routine. It can be the first step to starting over. Nothing romantic."

Bonnie sighed. "I guess you're right," she said. "Fine, we can try it. But no nicknames tonight! I am not Judgy, I am not Bon Bon. I am Bonnie."

"Okay, okay," he said, innocently. "Bonnie. I'll be taking you to Amore's, Bonnie. Best Italian food in Virginia."

"Sounds nice," she replied. "You can pick me up from my dad's."

"Fine. It's a date."

"No, it's not a date!" Bonnie quickly corrected.

"Friend date!" Damon threw back. "Potential friends, sharing a meal."

"Fine." Bonnie started away. "Don't be late!" She threw back.

"I wouldn't dare!" Damon called after her. "I'll be there at 6:58!"

He watched her go for a moment longer before turning and leaving himself. When Bonnie got back to her dorm, she went into the bathroom and caught a glance of herself in the mirror. She stopped to look a moment longer, as she barely recognized herself. She was doing something she hadn't done in weeks. Smiling.

**The End.**

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><p><strong>AN: And we have reached the end of this little ****fic! I hope you all enjoyed it, and I'm sorry if it didn't end how you wanted but there could only be one. Although, I was hoping there would have been more Team Stefonnie support than there was, lol. I ship Bonnie with everyone so it really could have gone either way for me, but Damon just felt right for this particular fic. I loved writing this story and had thought about continuing it in the future, but it seems like without the TiMER being a factor anymore it defeats the purpose. Oh, and I'm sorry for the ones who were seeking out Enzo. I had casually mentioned him in chapter 1 but I never planned for him to be in this story. There really wasn't a place for him. ****Anyway, let me know what you think!**

**Thanks for reading!**


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